U.S. Media: Military Action Against Iran "Imminent"

On February 18, Xinhua News Agency reported from Washington that there are currently no signs indicating that diplomatic negotiations between the United States and Iran will achieve a breakthrough. Meanwhile, increasing evidence suggests that U.S. military action against Iran is "imminent."

The report cites sources as saying that if the U.S. launches military action against Iran, it is likely to be a large-scale operation lasting several weeks. The U.S. and Israel are likely to conduct joint operations, which will be much larger in scale than the "War of the 12th" last June, posing a greater "existential threat" to Iran and having far-reaching effects on the entire region.

The report states that the U.S. and Iran held negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, on the 17th. Although both sides indicated that the talks had "made progress," significant differences remain. Currently, the likelihood of reaching an agreement seems low.

The report also mentions that U.S. President Trump is continuously escalating military and rhetorical pressure, making it difficult for him to back down before Iran makes significant concessions. Trump's advisors also believe that the large military deployments in the Middle East are not merely "bluffing."

Currently, the U.S. has deployed an aircraft carrier strike group in the Middle East, with a second carrier strike group being deployed. Reports indicate that the U.S. military has also deployed more than a dozen other types of warships, hundreds of fighter jets, and multiple air defense systems in the region, and has utilized over 150 military transport flights to move weapons and ammunition to the Middle East.

According to a report from Israel's Channel 12 on the 17th, Israeli officials believe that U.S.-Iran negotiations have entered a "critical phase," and due to the "obvious differences" between the U.S. and Iran, Israel is preparing for a "collapse of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran."